The Colony of Unrequited Dreams

A sweeping drama of personal and political ambition follows soon-to-be Premier Joey Smallwood – the self-described “Last Father of Confederation” – as he propels the Dominion of Newfoundland into union with Canada in 1949. Both saint and sinner, the charismatic, controversial Smallwood is hounded every step of the way by witty, booze-soaked reporter Sheilagh Fielding – his intellectual equal and lifelong nemesis. With a crackling narrative, sultry jazz score and a cast of forty characters, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is an epic and expansive retelling of a defining Canadian story. “My collaborator Robert Chafe started working on Wayne Johnston’s epic in 2009. It was a nearly impossible task – a story spanning 25 years with the most unlikely hero and villain combined in one man as ever landed in our collective history. This production debuted in January 2015 and I’m really proud to bring it to our national stage.” – Jillian Keiley, Artistic director, NAC English Theatre “Artistic Fraud is one of the most innovative and exciting theatre companies in Canada. The set design and staging were kinetic, memorable, elemental. Desks, chairs, walls, and actors slid and curved into place like perfectly thrown curling stones – like the stage floor was made of smooth ice. I found myself wishing that Colony of Unrequited Dreams could be made into a mini-series.” - NFLDTXT.COM An Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland (St. John’s) production in collaboration with Canada’s National Arts Centre.